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SDR STORE

The Amateurs Code

The original Amateur’s Code was written by Paul M. Segal, W9EEA, in 1928. Although the code has been updated to reflect current realities, today ham radio operators take this code as seriously as their counterparts did in 1928.

The Amateur’s Code

The Radio Amateur is:

CONSIDERATE…never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others.

LOYAL…offers loyalty, encouragement and support to other amateurs, local clubs, and the American Radio Relay League, through which Amateur Radio in the United States is represented nationally and internationally.

PROGRESSIVE…with knowledge abreast of science, a well-built and efficient station and operation above reproach.

FRIENDLY…slow and patient operating when requested; friendly advice and counsel to the beginner; kindly assistance, cooperation and consideration for the interests of others. These are the hallmarks of the amateur spirit.

BALANCED…radio is an avocation, never interfering with duties owed to family, job, school or community.

PATRIOTIC…station and skill always ready for service to country and community.

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Kicking off the 2014 Hurricane Season, the National Weather Service has designated May 26th through June 1st. Hurricane Awareness Week. If you go on their website, you'll find a week-long schedule of info & video's to help everyone be better prepared. Like they say on thier website,"History teaches that a lack of hurricane awareness and preparation are common threads among
all major hurricane disasters. By knowing your vulnerability and what actions
you should take, you can reduce the effects of a hurricane disaster." Check out more HERE.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Jimmy Buffet wrote a pretty song... about getting drunk and leaving town as the way to cope with a coming storm. For most, the latter part has merit, the leaving town part. The getting drunk part... well not so much.

As Preppers, and especially as Ham Radio Operators, preparation is the key. Making a plan, and collecting the necessary resources to support your plan well in advance of any threat, then implementing your plan at the right time if the time comes, is the smartest way to reasoning with Hurricane Season. Nothing to write a song about for sure, but the only safe & sane way to prepare for one of Natures deadliest catastrophes.

It's smart to have many bases covered, multiple plans to cover multiple scenarios. Make Bug-out plans, and hunker-down plans. There are many factors to consider, and all will be determined by circumstances, some within, and some without your control. Smarter still is to recognize the time to prepare, (WHICH IS NOW)... not one week, one day, or one hour before landfall.

If you look upon your planning as having overlapping circumstances, you can better prepare. For example, if you live within a threat area, protecting your property with storm shutters, as well as securing loose outdoor outdoor items is smart whether you plan to hunker down or evacuate. Same with gathering important insurance papers, medicine, or securing sufficient cash to live on a few days, all are common sense steps in any plan.

KI4HEE Bug-Out: I can take my rig to a shelter, or on the road.

The other side of the coin is the specialized steps in your planning... dependent on specifically what you are planning to do. Will you be totally leaving the area? Or will you leave your home, but head to a Red Cross Shelter? There are big differences in what to plan for in each scenario, again depending on circumstances.

And while no plan can ever cover everything, that too can be anticipated and prepared for to some extent, by factoring in some flexibility in your planning.

So trying to reason with Hurricane Season may seem like something requiring a good stiff drink, but with some forethought and early preparations, the specter of a major storm heading your way may not be such a sobering event.
Need some motivation? Check out this video... it works for me, since it was shot less than 4 miles from my home. What strikes me most is the 13+ hours of constant roar of hurricane-force winds. GET PREPARED!